best of British luck, the—(often shortened to “best of British”) 1. is used to wish a person very good luck: Let me wish you the best of British luck. We know how testing the competition will be. 2. is used ironically, implying that the required luck may not materialize: The chances of them winning are, […]
Category: Confusing Phrases
Difference between Best boy and Best man
best boy— 1. (coll.) one’s favorite friend: “I was his best boy,” Auguste told The Sunday Age. “I miss him dreadfully as a companion.” 2. (Film or TV production) assistant to the chief electrician: The gaffer’s assistant answers to the amusing title of best boy! best man—the groom’s aide at a wedding: Who will be […]
Difference between Beside the question and Beyond question
beside the question—not relevant to the subject under discussion: What you are saying may be true, but in this case it is completely beside the question. beyond question— 1. not subject to doubt or dispute: He may be a little careless in his work, but his loyalty to the company is beyond question. 2. unquestionably; […]
Difference between Beside oneself and Out of oneself
beside oneself—overpowered with some strong emotion (also: beyond oneself ): Toscanelli was beside himself with joy at finding his belief had proved true. out of oneself— 1. out of one’s normal mental condition: She seemed out of herself, like her spirit had been sunk with that ship half a world away. 2. = beside oneself: […]
Difference between Bent out of shape and Out of shape
bent out of shape—(sl.) upset, worried or angry: Jane is bent out of shape because she wanted to go to the zoo, but no one would take her. out of shape—(of an athlete) not well trained; in bad physical form: I also was out of shape, and quickly became out of breath.
Difference between Bend the ear of someone and Bend the ear to someone
bend the ear of someone—(coll.) talk to a person at length in a boring and bothering way: Humphrey bent the ear of Charles Murphy for nearly two hours. bend the ear to someone—give favorable attention to smb.: You can guarantee that the Administration will consistently bend the ear to its financial backers.
Difference between Bench warmer and Chair warmer
bench warmer —(coll.) a substitute in a sports team who seldom plays: He thought about leaving after the 1994 season, his third straight year as a bench-warmer. chair warmer—(coll.) 1. (derog.) an ineffective office holder or employee: The judge frowned at me. The courtroom chair warmers craned necks in my direction. 2. (pejor.) a person […]
Difference between Below the weather and Under the weather
below the weather—(Aviation) said of weather conditions at ground level: The pilot had flown the aircraft down in an attempt to remain below the weather. Cf.: above the weather—(also: over the weather) above the range of weather conditions at ground level: As our engines were designed to operate at low level there was no possibility […]
Difference between Below someone and Beneath someone
below someone—in a lower rank or station than another person: They have the right of censure that allows them to remove any officer below Colonel from command. Note: The expression is not equivalent in meaning to the phrase under someone—subordinated to or commanded by a person: You are under San Diego but any reports you […]
Difference between Belong in something and Belong to something
belong in something—(also: belong with something ) be in the correct place or situation: This kind of picture does not belong in a teenage magazine. belong to something—be a member of a group, party, etc.: A judge who belongs to a club that excludes women may have difficulty ruling on cases of sex discrimination.
Difference between Belly up to the bar and Go belly up
belly up to the bar—(U.S. sl.) 1. go up to the bar to order a drink, etc.: It will be a great place to belly up to the bar, or just mingle before the shows. 2. get seriously involved; make a serious effort: There was hope for solving the crisis but it was time for […]
Difference between Bell boy and Bell buoy
bell boy—an employee in a hotel who helps guests by carrying their luggage, running errands, etc.: Led by a “bell-boy” into the lift, she walked along a pale-gray river of corridor carpet. bell buoy—a floating buoy with a bell that gives a warning or positional signal to ships: You may hear the ringing bell buoy […]